New Zealand's North Island sees first snow fall in 40 years

A cold blast from the Antarctic has brought snow to New Zealand's capital city
of Wellington for the first time in 40 years.

5:05PM BST 15 Aug 2011

Wellington's airport was closed while trucks had to spend the night on the side of the road, as iced roads made the journey too slippery.

More snowfalls are expected and the country's Civil Defence has warned people to be prepared.

"People need to make sure that they have all the amenities that they need. Like warm clothing, proper food, water," said Rian vanSchalkwyk, New Zealand Civil Defence Officer.

Some schools and businesses were forced to close and residents in Wellington's suburbs have even been warned they could be snowed in.

In the city of Christchurch, high winds and snow brought down power lines, cutting electricity to hundreds of homes. In the areas damaged by the February earthquake, repair work has been halted due to the weather.